LAS VEGAS, May 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --There's more than just a new location for the 12th edition of the World Tea Expo (WorldTeaExpo). A new World Tea Awards (TeaAwards) dinner and ceremony will be held on the historic Queen Mary ship, recognizing some of the best in the global tea industry, May 30 at 7 pm. The Expo's Best New Products will be revealed, along with a number of community-voted award categories. The evening also features plenty of "red carpet" photo and social media opportunities, tea celebrities and tea infusions prepared by BKON. All of which are among the many highlights of the three-day World Tea Expo, the leading tradeshow and conference focused 100 percent on premium teas and related products, with fresh ideas, new trends and distribution channels. The Expo takes place May 29 - 31 in Long Beach, Calif. at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, and is co-located with the annual Healthy Beverage Expo (HealthyBevExpo). Details are at WorldTeaExpo.com and HealthyBeverageExpo.com.
"The World Tea Awards is expected to sell out to a room of 300+ tea industry influencers from around the globe," says George Jage, director of The Beverage Group, a division of F+W Media, organizer of World Tea Expo and Healthy Beverage Expo. "Our maiden World Tea Awards on the Queen Mary will certainly be a night of industry-wide celebration and fun."
Gail Gastelu, publisher of The Tea House Times, who's hosting the World Tea Awards along with Jage, says, "The World Tea Awards is a tremendous opportunity to recognize and show appreciation to the industry overall, get dressed up and celebrate what makes our community so special. And it is with great excitement that George and I prepare to host this inaugural event, an enjoyable evening in which we can all celebrate together-infusing tea and tea cocktails and blending in a bit of glamour."
The evening's formal seated dinner will be followed by an entertaining World Tea Awards ceremony, culminating in the presentation of the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award to Devan Shah, the creator and owner of International Tea Importers and Chado Tea Rooms. The Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes and celebrates individuals who have made considerable contributions to the growth, innovation and education of the specialty tea industry throughout their lifetime.
"We've been looking to create this event for years, and with our move to Long Beach, the Queen Mary provides the perfect setting for a black-tie affair," adds Jage. "Our longer term plans are to build the awards around recognizing retailers and businesses on the front lines of the tea revolution. We will expand this significantly in future years, but this first one is not to be missed. I still have people come up to me and proudly say they were at our first expo, and I'm sure this micro-event will attain the same passion as our trade show."
Finalists of the World Tea Awards
For the 2014 World Tea Awards, thousands of nominations were collected through a survey process. The list of finalists, in each category, is listed below, and all can be found at WorldTeaExpo.com. Only registered delegates of the 2014 World Tea Expo are eligible to vote. Voting instructions will be communicated via email to registered delegates. Voting ends May 19.
A video announcement about the 2014 World Tea Award nominees may be viewed here http://bit.ly/PX9YRx, or search "World Tea Awards" on YouTube.
Best Tea Publication
- TeaTime Magazine
- The Tea House Times
- Fresh Cup Magazine
- Tea & Coffee Trade Journal
- Tea in Texas Magazine
Best Tea Book
- Tea Sommelier Handbook (Spanish & English) by Victoria Bisogno & Jane Pettigrew
- TEA, History, Terroirs, Varieties (Second Edition) by the Tasters of Camellia Sinensis
- Afternoon Tea: Delicious Recipes for Scones, Savories & Sweets by Lorna Reeves
- A Social History of Tea by Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson
- Master Davey and The Magic Tea House: Legend of the Blue Tiger by Susan Chodakiewitz& David De Candia
Best Social Media Reach
- Elyse Petersen
- Tony Gebely
- Nigel Melican
- Thomas Shu
- Austin Hodge
Best Tea Room Website
- Queen Mary Tea Room
- The Aubrey Rose Tea Room
- The St. James Tearoom
- Tea by Two Tea Room
- English Rose Tea Room
Best Tea Retail Website
- Adagio
- SerendipiTea
- Capital Teas
- Harney & Sons
- Camellia Sinensis
Best Tea Blog
- An International Tea Moment
- T Ching
- Walker Tea Review
- The Tea Cup of Life
- World of Tea
Best Tea Educator
- Bruce Richardson
- James Norwood Pratt
- Jane Pettigrew
- Bill Waddington
- Shabnam Weber
Best Tea Room Menu
- The Aubrey Rose Tea Room, La Mesa, Calif.
- Samovar Tea Lounge, San Francisco, Calif.
- The St. James Tearoom, Albuquerque, N.M.
- Silver Tips Tea Room, Tarrytown, N.Y.
- Teaberry's Tea Room, Flemington, N.J.
Best Tea Short / Commercial
- Cindi Bigelow Visits Tea Fields of Sri Lanka
- How To BeMoreTea with Lipton & The Muppets!
- The Tea Cup Ballet
- The Tea Song by Yorkshire Tea
- Rediscovering the art of tea
Best Tea Spirit
- Elyse Petersen of Tealet
- David Bigelow of Bigelow Tea
- Victoria Bisogno de El Club del Te
- James Norwood Pratt, author
- John Harney, Harney & Sons
Sponsors of the 2014 World Tea Awards include: Top Leaf contributor - BKON; Industry Leaders - Capital Teas, Haelssen & Lyon, Harney & Sons, Ito En and The Tea House Times; Community Contributors - Bigelow Tea and TeaTime Magazine.
Tickets for the World Tea Awards may be purchased at WorldTeaExpo.com or by calling 702-253-1893. Full tables of 10 may be arranged through Edie Gillette at edie.gillette@fwmedia.com. Participants do not need to be a delegate of the World Tea Expo to attend the ceremony. To register for World Tea Expo and Healthy Beverage Expo, visit WorldTeaExpo.com and HealthyBeverageExpo.com. Questions? E-mail info@WorldTeaExpo.com or call 702-253-1893.
About The Beverage Group, a division of F+W Media
The Beverage Group, a division of F+W Media, Inc., is an integrated media company dedicated to providing business solutions to the global beverage industry. Events include: Healthy Beverage Expo and World Tea Expo. The Beverage Group also produces the North American Tea Championship, World Tea Academy and World Tea News.
SOURCE The Beverage Group, a division of F+W Media
